Millions are clueless on care costs

MILLIONS of Britons are “sleepwalking” into old age unaware of how much they will need to pay for their care, a report says today.

PUBLISHED: 00:00, Mon, Sep 16, 2013

The real cost of care is around £537 a week [GETTY]

Half of those who were questioned have no idea how much a week in a care home costs. Nearly half do not know how they will pay for it.

Those who put a cost on care gave an average of £397 per week, the Right Care, Right Price report said. But the real figure is around £140 a week more.

Knowledge of local authority support is also low with 61 per cent clueless as to how much help they could get with care home costs.

We risk an oblivious ageing population sleepwalking into an uncertain future

Anchor’s chief executive Jane Ashcroft

The report is from the Strategic Society Centre and commissioned by the not-for-profit care provider Anchor. Anchor’s chief executive Jane Ashcroft called on the Government to do more, adding: “We risk an oblivious ageing population sleepwalking into an uncertain future”.

Report author James Lloyd said: “The time is right for a radical rethink of how the price of care is determined.”